'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎82] (401/1024)

Travels in India,
Part II,
As for Sienr des Mar eft he was a Gentleman, born in the Danphmte n e - r
to Loriol, who having kill’d his adverfary in a Duel, fled into Poland, whe?e
he fo far hgnalhM himfelf, that he won the efteem and affedion of the General
of the Polonian Army. At that time the Grand Seignior kept in the prifonof
the Seven Towers at Con&anmoyle, two Noble Polonians whereupon the P 0
Ionian General obferving the courage and addrefs of this Des Mar efts ^ w '
a daring Fellow, and a good Engineer befides, made a propofal to him, to goto
Conftaminofle, and to endeavour, if he could by any means in the world, to
fet thofe princes at liberty. Des Mar efts willingly accepted the employment
and without doubt he had fucceeded in his deiign, had he not been difcovered’
by fome Turks, who accus’d him for having been too circumfped in viewing
the feven Towers, feeing him with a Chalk Pencil in his hand, ready to take
the draught thereof, which feem’d to tend to no good deiign. This had been
enough to have ruin’d the Gentleman, had not Monfieur de Cefy, the French
Ambafladour ftifl’d the further examination of the bufinefs by fome Prefent;
which in Turky is the moft fovereign remedy upon all accidents of danger ^ telling
the Fifter,that he was only a French Gentleman that travePd for his pleafure,and
one that was going for Perfta with the firfl: opportunity. However it was not
Mar efts deiign at that time to go very far,for he intended to have return’d into
Polandftb foon as he had us’d his utmoft indeavours to fet the Princes at liberty •
but for his own fafety it behov’d him to give it out that he was gone to Perfia-,
and at length he was conltrain’d to go thither indeed. As for the Grand Seignior,
he had refolv^d never to fet the two Noblemen at liberty. But at length they
were fo fortunate as to gain the love of a young Tnrk, who was the Son of the
Captain of the Seven Towers •, with whom the Father ufually trulted the Keys
to open and Ihut the Gates of the Prifon. The night appointed for their flight,
he made as if he had Ihut fome doors, the Padlocks whereof he left all open.
But he durlt not do fo by the two firft Gates, near one of which the Captain
with a ftrong Guard lay, for fear of being difcover’d. The young man, who
had entirely devoted himfelf to ferve the Princes, having forefeen this diffi
culty before, had bethought himfelf of Rope-Ladders to get over the two
Walls; to which purpofe it was neceflary to have a correfpondence within and
without. Finding therefore that becaufe the utmoft of feverity was not us’d'
toward thofe Princes, they had the liberty, to receive feveral Dilhes of Meat
from the French Ambafladours Kitchin,the Clerk of the Kitchin was made of the
v plot, who thereupon fent them in feveral Cords in Palties, whereof they made
Ladders. The bufinefs fucceeded fo well, that the efcape was made, and the
young Turk fled with the Polonian Lords into Poland, where he turn’d Chrillian,
and receiv’d ample rewards both in Employments and Money. The fame gra
titude proportionably was obferved toward thofe who had contributed toward
the liberty of the Princes, who amply acknowledg’d the feryices which they
had receiv’d from every one of them.
In the mean time the Sieur Des Marefts arrives at Ifiahan, and addreffing
himfelf to the Cafnchin Fryars, they brought him to my Lodging, where he
had the freedom of my Table, and a Chamber. He ftaid fome time at Ifa-
han, during which he got acquainted with the Englift and Hollanders, who had
a great efteem for him, finding him to be a perfpn of merit. But it happen d
one day, that his curiofity putting him upon a bold attempt, had like to have
been the ruine of him and all the Franks in Jfpahan. Never the Inn where we
lodg’d there was a large Bath, where the men and women by turns take their
times to come and bath themfelves; and where the Queen of Fifapoar, during
her ftay at Jfpahan, as fhe return’d home to Mecca, delighted to go and prattle
with the French mens wives. The Sieur Des Marefts having a paffionate de
fine to fee what the women did, fatisfi’d his curiofity, by means of a cranny in
the Arch of the Vault, which he had obferved when he went thither; for having
found out a way without fide to get up to that Arch, through a blind hole thdi,
was next to the Inn where he lay, the Arch being fiat, as I have defcnb’d theni
in my “relations of Perfta, and the Seraglio, he laid himfelf upon his belly, an
law throtgh the cranny what he fo much long’d to behold. He was at this iport
fome ten or twelve times; and not being able to contain himfelf, he told me